Armani marks 40 years in fashion with VIP gala

Italy’s Giorgio Armani celebrated 40 years in fashion with a star-studded gala and opening of a museum dedicated to his fashion label. The 80-year old designer, known to be hands on in creating the iconic brand, was joined by celebrities such as Leonardo Di Caprio, Cate Blanchett, Hilary Swank and Tina Turner for a luxurious celebration in Milan. When asked about his greatest achievements over his career, the designer recalled his emotions when he saw himself on the cover of ‘Time’ magazine. For the anniversary, Armani has converted a 1950s building that once stored cereals for a new exhibition dedicated of his designs.

MET Gala Guest List Leaked

With just one week left until the Met Gala, one of fashion’s biggest evenings of the year, we finally know some of the celebrity guests expected to show up for the party. Website, Fashionista, released a list of 100 celebs who are supposed to be in attendance, including Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Julianne Moore, Katy Perry, Bradley Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sarah Jessica Parker and Reese Witherspoon. The rules will also be strict for the event in terms of photos and social media. Reports are coming out that selfies will be banned at the event and rumours that all guests have reportedly received notices stating, “The use of phones for photography and social media will not be permitted inside the gala.” The Met Gala : China Through The Looking Glass, will take place on Monday, May 4th, 2015.

John Oliver Calls Out Fast Fashion Brands For Unethical Labour Laws

In a recent segment on his new show, “Last Week Tonight,” John Oliver ripped into clothing retailers about the labour practices implemented by fast fashion brands. The host took aim at the industry’s “supply chain management” problems, using stats, facts, and his trademark sense of humour. The video of the segment has gone viral on the web. To close the segment, Oliver calls out the owners of Gap, Walmart, Joe Fresh, H&M and The Children’s Place and argues that ignorance of child labour is no excuse.

Mother throws outrageous birthday party for her daughter

The DailyMail UK is reporting a story of a mother who spent $200,000 on a fashion show birthday party for her two-year-old daughter. The birthday extravaganza included a mini-fashionista wardrobe that included designer labels like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Burberry, Chanel and Armani. To host the event, the mother rented a hotel foyer and runway. According to the report, she justified the extravagance by claiming she wants her daughter to experience the finer things in life. ‘We have no financial issues, so I just want my daughter to have a better life,’ she said. We wonder if she’s willing to adopt us….

Zac Posen designing for Delta Airlines

Fashion meets function at 30,000 feet high. Delta Airlines has confirmed it will be working with high-profile fashion designer Zac Posen. The designer will be tasked with creating a collection for in-flight crew and Delta Airlines says the collaboration will “bring American glamour back to flying.” The designer will begin dressing the crew beginning in 2018. Airline and fashion house have been collaborating for years, such as the recent Air Canada uniforms and Marimekko for Finnair.

Adidas wants to turn ocean plastic into clothing

This week, the company announced a partnership with Parley for the Oceans, an ocean preservation group, to create clothing from recycled ocean plastic, starting in 2016. The two organizations will work together to develop special fibers for use in Adidas clothing and, potentially, footwear—which is what the company is most known for. In a press release, Adidas also pledged to phase out the use of plastic bags in all of its retail stores. This news comes right after the release of their anticipated limited-edition SuperColor collection with Pharrell Williams.

Gender-inclusive clothing swap in Winnipeg

The CBC is reporting on Theo DeSilva, the person behind a new clothing drive in Winnipeg. It’s called the Winnipeg Gender Inclusive Clothing Swap and it’s there for anyone who is transgender. DeSilva, who is a transgender man, said the idea was inspired by a friend who didn’t have the full support of his parents. “They were more like, ‘You can transition, you can dress like a male, if you can afford to do so,'” said DeSilva. If you want to show support or get involved, DeSilva can be contacted through Facebook at Winnipeg Gender Inclusive Clothing Swap.

The GAP opens, cautiously, in India

When clothing and accessories retailer Gap opens the doors to its first store in India on May 30, it wants to avoid something that had happened at rival retailer Zara’s first store opening. When Zara opened shop in India in South Delhi’s Saket area, the crowd was way too big to manage and there were reports that the opening was utter chaos. The Gap learned a lesson from this and plans to hand out entry to tokens so customers can’t rush in the store. The company is expecting 5,000 customers on its first day. More retailers have their sights set on business in India, we reported on H&M’s venture in 2013.

Man Charged with Counterfeit T-Shirts

A man running a counterfeit t-shirt shop from his garage was arrested in the UK. Dealing with as much as up to £260,000 worth of fake garments between 2010 and 2012, the man has some serious charges against him. Copyright infringement of registered trademarks from of the Beatles, the Ramones, Jack Daniels, Porsche and Yamaha were used on T-shirts and packaging. He also admitted to courts to having equipment specifically designed for the making of fake trademarks on goods or packaging. The judge in the case had some scary words before posting bail terms, “The fact that I am granting bail for the preparation of a pre sentence report is no indication of what might happen. All sentencing options are open.”

J. Crew Releases Mayhem

Fashion retailer J. Crew is setting up to release their collaboration with 4-year old fashion designer Mayhem. The collaboration, which we reported on in 2014, is called Mayhem by J. Crew and will feature clothing and adorable accessories.

Ryserson University Hosts Fashion Talks

Attention all makers, developers, designers, engineers, creators, and innovators! You are invited to join us for an exciting three-day weekend full of creating, hacking and designing. Hack‘N’Talk is a three-day weekend featuring fun and collaborative hacking sessions that harness innovative creativity from various communities to empower the future of wearable technology and fashion innovation. For more information, visit the Ryerson website.

OSKA Wants to Expand in Canada

Munich-based company OSKA, which recently launched a Vancouver location and it’s first Canadian store in Calgary in 2013, has its eye on expanding in the great white north. Sitting down with the Calgary Herald, the CEO sated ““Canada is quite well structured. They have other big cities and maybe one day we’ll open as well in Toronto and Montreal.”